What should be done by one skillful in goodSo as to gain the State of Peace is this:

Let him be able, and upright and straight,Easy to speak to, gentle, and not proud,Contented too, supported easily,With few tasks, and living very lightly;His faculties serene, prudent, and modest,Unswayed by the emotions of the clans;And let him never do the slightest thingThat other wise men might hold blamable.

(And let him think:) "In safety and in blissMay creatures all be of a blissful heart.Whatever breathing beings there may be.No matter whether they are frail or firm,With none excepted, be they long or bigOr middle-sized, or be they short or smallOr thick, as well as those seen or unseen,Or whether they are dwelling far or near,Existing or yet seeking to exist.May creatures all be of a blissful heart.Let no one work another one's undoingOr even slight him at all anywhere:And never let them wish each other illThrough provocation or resentful thought."And just as might a mother with her lifeProtect the son that was her only child,So let him then for every living thingMaintain unbounded consciousness in being;

And let him too with love for all the worldMaintain unbounded consciousness in beingAbove, below, and all round in between,Untroubled, with no enemy or foe.And while he stands or walks or while he sitsOr while he lies down, free from drowsiness,Let him resolve upon this mindfulness:This is Divine Abiding here, they say.

But when he has no trafficking with views,Is virtuous, and has perfected seeing,And purges greed for sensual desires,He surely comes no more to any womb.

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

Karaniya Metta Sutta: Good Willtranslated from the Pali byThanissaro Bhikkhu

This is to be done by one skilled in aimswho wants to break through to the state of peace:Be capable, upright, & straightforward,easy to instruct, gentle, & not conceited,content & easy to support,with few duties, living lightly,with peaceful faculties, masterful,modest, & no greed for supporters.

Do not do the slightest thingthat the wise would later censure.

Think: Happy, at rest,may all beings be happy at heart.Whatever beings there may be, weak or strong, without exception, long, large, middling, short, subtle, blatant, seen & unseen, near & far, born & seeking birth:May all beings be happy at heart.

Let no one deceive anotheror despise anyone anywhere,or through anger or irritationwish for another to suffer.

As a mother would risk her lifeto protect her child, her only child,even so should one cultivate a limitless heartwith regard to all beings.With good will for the entire cosmos,cultivate a limitless heart:Above, below, & all around,unobstructed, without enmity or hate.Whether standing, walking,sitting, or lying down, as long as one is alert,one should be resolved on this mindfulness.This is called a sublime abidinghere & now.

Not taken with views,but virtuous & consummate in vision,having subdued desire for sensual pleasures, one never again will lie in the womb.

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness,And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright,Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited,Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature.Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise would later reprove.Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease.Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,The great or the mighty, medium, short or small, The seen and the unseen,Those living near and far away, Those born and to-be-born —May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state.Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another.Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child,So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings;Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to the skies,And downwards to the depths; Outwards and unbounded,Freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying downFree from drowsiness, One should sustain this recollection.This is said to be the sublime abiding. By not holding to fixed views,The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, Being freed from all sense desires,Is not born again into this world.

สัพเพ สัตตา สุขีตา โหนตุ

the mountain may be heavy in and of itself, but if you're not trying to carry it it's not heavy to you- Ajaan Suwat

This is what should be done By one who is skilled in goodness,And who knows the path of peace: Let them be able and upright,Straightforward and gentle in speech, Humble and not conceited,Contented and easily satisfied, Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful, Not proud or demanding in nature.Let them not do the slightest thing That the wise would later reprove.Wishing: In gladness and in safety, May all beings be at ease.Whatever living beings there may be; Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,The great or the mighty, medium, short or small, The seen and the unseen,Those living near and far away, Those born and to-be-born —May all beings be at ease!

Let none deceive another, Or despise any being in any state.Let none through anger or ill-will Wish harm upon another.Even as a mother protects with her life Her child, her only child,So with a boundless heart Should one cherish all living beings;Radiating kindness over the entire world: Spreading upwards to the skies,And downwards to the depths; Outwards and unbounded,Freed from hatred and ill-will. Whether standing or walking, seated or lying downFree from drowsiness, One should sustain this recollection.This is said to be the sublime abiding. By not holding to fixed views,The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision, Being freed from all sense desires,Is not born again into this world.

This is the one we chant every Sunday before meditation and sutta study.

mettaChris

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

While the Buddha was staying at Savatthi, a band of monks, having received subjects of meditation from the master, proceeded to a forest to spend the rainy season (vassana).

The tree deities inhabiting this forest were worried by their arrival, as they had to descend from tree abodes and dwell on the ground. They hoped, however, the monks would leave soon; but finding that the monks would stay the vassana period of three months, harassed them in diverse ways, during the night with the intention of scaring them away.

Living under such conditions being impossible, the monks went to the Master and informed him of their difficulties. Thereon the Buddha instructed them in the Metta sutta and advised their return equipped with this sutta for their protection.

The monks went back to the forest, and practicing the instruction conveyed, permeated the whole atmosphere with their radiant thoughts of metta or loving-kindness. The deities so affected by this power of love, henceforth allowed them to meditate in peace.

Rain soddens what is kept wrapped up,But never soddens what is open;Uncover, then, what is concealed,Lest it be soddened by the rain.

I asked the same question in 2002, triggered by a different quote, and received answers from a number of friends well-versed in the Dhamma and in Pali on DSG - in a thread entitled "When a being has laid down his body".

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

"OF THOSE SEEKING A NEW EXISTENCE" (Pali: sambhavesino pl.).The commentary (Ps i 207) gives a detailed explanation. In the case ofthe egg-born and the womb-born they refer to beings still inside theegg or the womb before hatching out or parturition. An explanation isalso given for the moisture-born and the spontaneously-arisen (withthe first citta of the new existence but not so with the next cittaand afterwards).

It's interesting how brief some of the statements in the Sutta Nipata are. In this particular Sutta there seems to be a very quick switch in the last verse from Metta to the insight leading to liberation:

By not holding to fixed views,The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,Being freed from all sense desires,Is not born again into this world.

mikenz66 wrote:It's interesting how brief some of the statements in the Sutta Nipata are. In this particular Sutta there seems to be a very quick switch in the last verse from Metta to the insight leading to liberation:

By not holding to fixed views,The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,Being freed from all sense desires,Is not born again into this world.

MettaMike

Hi Mike,

I see what you mean about the seemingly abrupt switch in what the verses are saying. I have inferred my own sense of what this is trying to communicate based on my general understanding of Dhamma teachings as well as my own practice of metta mediation. In my experience of approaching absorption in well wishing towards sentient beings there a distinct way in which I begin to feel limited. That is while it generally feels very good to maintain such a positive intention there is a kind of subtle dissonance between my attachment to the pleasant feeling and the purity of my intention. I feel that this dissonance is created by the root confusion over there being a self in relation to the other. I feel that at the time when I am (relative to my usual way of being) supremely benevolent, this is the point when the Buddha is saying "Now! Attempt to look with insight into your experience".

Metta

Gabe

"Beautifully taught is the Lord's Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for himself." Anguttara Nikaya V.332

gabrielbranbury wrote:... I feel that at the time when I am (relative to my usual way of being) supremely benevolent, this is the point when the Buddha is saying "Now! Attempt to look with insight into your experience".

Thanks, that's a useful observation, in line with usual instructions to use the jhana states to see the impermanence and ultimate unsatisfactoriness of all conditioned things.

What do you think is specifically being referred to in each of these lines from different translations of the Sutta ....?

But when he has no trafficking with viewsNot taken with viewsBy not holding to fixed views

In these translations, it isn't a matter of right or wrong view ~ but any views?

with mettaChris

---The trouble is that you think you have time------Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe------It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---

My read is that the final four lines are referring to an arahant, and thus, to one who has no reliance on any view (be it right or wrong).

Metta,Retro.

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

I think that the juxtaposition of direction in the perfection of well wishing and a terse statement about the awakened state of total freedom is meant to induce a contemplation or inquiry into what limits us. I think we are meant to use our inspired imagination to sort of make the connection between our views, lack of clarity, and attachments to fleeting experience and our bondage to suffering. In other words if we have at least some inkling of the awakened state while stretching the very limits of our altruistic capacity we might in that moment get a glimpse or sense of what needs to undertaken to transform our limited state of bondage into one of perfect freedom and happiness. We might see the eightfold path laid before us like a vast and beautiful journey and feel in our hearts that it is the only path worth pursuing. And as our ability to maintain a sense of well wishing wanes and our usual self centered habits begin to exert there influence on us we might continue to recall that there is a path before us. There is work to be done. However limited we feel there is an unlimited way out. What I call effective mindfulness is the ability to hold this recollection. The degree to which we remember this is the degree to which we are mindful.

with metta

Gabe

"Beautifully taught is the Lord's Dhamma, immediately apparent, timeless, of the nature of a personal invitation, progressive, to be attained by the wise, each for himself." Anguttara Nikaya V.332

I regret to inform you all of some bad news. James Brand aka "JCSuperstar" is currently in the local hospital's Intensive Care Unit. He was found at work in an unconscious state and is now currently in a comatose state. He is now only living off of a breathing apparatus and the doctors say there is little hope for a recovery. The current diagnosis is a brain hemmorage due to possible high blood pressure or other natural causes. He is a close friend of mine and is the person to introduce me to Buddhism. This forum meant a lot to him, as you can see by all his activity here and he most definitely enjoys his time here. Please please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Positive thoughts are a powerful thing. Everything happens for a reason and was is meant to be, will be. His wife is by his side now and id greatful for all your support here on the forum thus far in helping him find the true path to happiness. I'll keep everyone posted with any progress. Thank you.

Accordingly, out of respect for James we are re-opening this Study Group topic on the Karaniya Metta Sutta until such time as we decide what to do with the Study Group, which James has been leading since February 2009. If you have any suggestions relating to the Study Group, please post them in...

If you have asked me of the origination of unease, then I shall explain it to you in accordance with my understanding: Whatever various forms of unease there are in the world, They originate founded in encumbering accumulation. (Pārāyanavagga)

Exalted in mind, just open and clearly aware, the recluse trained in the ways of the sages:One who is such, calmed and ever mindful, He has no sorrows! -- Udana IV, 7

Good call, Retro.Until then, lets keep James and his family in our thoughts as we extend Metta to all sentient beings.

“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.” - Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:in mountain clefts and chasms,loud gush the streamlets,but great rivers flow silently.- Sutta Nipata 3.725

I know that sometimes we Theravadins say that metta cannot be extended to the dead, however, there is the possibility that it may be okay and helpful. For example, the Metta Sutta which speaks of extending loving-kindness to 'bhuutaa vaa sambhavesii vaa' -- "to beings who have come to be and those about to come to be."

Also, of course there is the extending of Metta to all living beings and with samsara, would include those recently deceased.